Back to work? With the NQR horse

[Posting_Trot]

I’m sure someone else has recommended this book, but Jec Ballou’s 55 Corrective Exercises for Horses is definitely worth looking at for ideas about rehab.

At the end of each chapter (that focuses on specific exercises) she suggestions routines that incorporate those exercises, so “Routines following bodywork and during periods of reduced exercise,” and “Routines to complement rehab programs.”

It’s an excellent book for getting ideas for groundwork, and also for understanding how you can build routines to build fitness.

[Foitin]

Doing a rehab for a horse with a suspensory injury too, and it is certainly rough. Mine is a 13yo WB, love him dearly and he’s a fierce competitor. He has been off since December 2022. We sent him to a rehab facility in March 2023 to June 2023 because I wanted to go the whole nine yards for him and because our barn is very busy/probably stress inducing and he is unpredictable when not in work. He is also very large and honestly, gets a little scary when in the mood or bored. Such was the advice of his previous trainer, keep him in work or you’ll pay for it! The rehab farm got him walking under saddle heavily medicated, which they argued was absolutely necessary for his and our safety. They gave us a slow program to follow and we’ve done it as much as possible: he walked under saddle for 1 month, the next month was trotting about 10 sides (no corners) of the ring, now he is trotting full laps, but only about 10, and walking the rest of the ride. The rehab vet told us not to turn him out until he was back in full work (jumping 3’-3.3’’ twice weekly, hacking 4 times, eventually showing frequently), but he has bucked off or tried to buck off the scrappiest riders in the barn. And that is medicated, per the rehab vet and our vet’s suggestions. Finally nobody could take it anymore or wanted to ride him and we’ve decided to turn him out in a small paddock about the size of our ring. Since we’ve started, he’s not gotten anybody off (but is still bucking), and he must be surrounded in the nearby paddocks by the donkey and retirees.

[SolarFlare]

@fivestrideline

You know, you’d think there’s be some “accepted” back-to-work schedule for a sound horse out there, if only among vets.

Take a look at this document. It was put together by vets with Equestrian Canada after the Covid shutdown, to help horse owners get their horses safely back to work after the break. It has conditioning guidelines for various disciplines.

vN8YPg6e5u7vSZyrj.pdf

[EmilyM]

So many things against you in the winter. Wait until spring

[BroncoMo]

@fivestrideline

other is actually the western saddle route. Bareback puts all the rider’s weight on a relatively small space (I’m not heavy, and I do carry my weight across my thighs vs just digging my pointy seatbones in, but still), but little chance for pinching. Western is heavier tack but spreads the weight across the back better than bareback or an English style.

This is accurate in my experience. Trainer had a horse with pretty severe KS a few years ago; many processes involved and touching. He would go around just fine in western tack, but completely fall apart in english tack. The weight distribution made a significant difference for him.

[fivestrideline]

@BroncoMo

Trainer had a horse with pretty severe KS a few years ago; many processes involved and touching. He would go around just fine in western tack, but completely fall apart in english tack. The weight distribution made a significant difference for him.

I’ve heard this. But, I do wonder if there’s more to it - ie how many of these horses are being asked to work in the same frame and use their bodies in the same way between both sets of tack? Are they being allowed to go low headed, slow, and/or off contact, without a ton of collection demands in the western tack vs in the English setup?

[BroncoMo]

We ride ours the same in both sets of tack. Low, rounded, forward, and on light contact. Quarter horses though. So naturally lower headed.

[fivestrideline]

So I decided to start handwalking my horse today, he’s had about 2 weeks to settle in to the new place. What I’ve realized is that there isn’t a flat spot at the farm! It’s pretty darn hilly, with the exception of a cleared hilltop that I could probably lunge and ride on eventually (once I’m sure he’s not going to fall on his face). Therefore, I think I’ll hold off on the EquiCore for now, at least until I feel like he’s handling the terrain.

What I’m wrestling with is the fact that this horse is loosey-goosey and can be a bit crooked, so I feel like he either needs a rider up or some sort of straightness guide. Having walked the terrain, however, I’m now worried about putting side reins on him, as I’m afraid he might trip and be unable to catch himself if he hits them. Again, I do not know how to longline, and I don’t think trying to learn in a huge field with a horse that doesn’t know how is a great plan. I’m thinking it may be best to hop on him bareback sooner rather than later, so I can at least get his haunches in line. It’s that or start some lunging in side reins, on a huge circle.

So I guess the question is, handwalk for a month and then hop on him bareback? Or add in some lunging on the (not flat) hilltop? Both methods have their pros and cons (weight on his back, but straight lines vs no weight, but circles).

[Renn_aissance]

I would hand walk and then sit on him bareback, unless he will buck you off. I don’t love spending a lot of time going in circles early in a rehab plan.

Don’t let perfect be the enemy of good here! He needs to move his body any way at all at first, and then move his body correctly from his hocks through his core and spine. There are lots of ways you can accomplish this. Having a good marching walk in hand and then “under saddle” on rolling terrain is a really good way to get those muscles working.

[fivestrideline]

He’s a good boy and very used to being ridden without a saddle, so no worries there.

I’m trying not to get too in my head about it and self-sabotage by having to do everything perfectly. But it’s so hard, with how long this road has been!

[IPEsq]

You can get some proprioceptive input from the Equicore without as much strain on the body if you don’t tighten the rear strap down as tight as you’re supposed to. Up to you if that is more or less challenging than rider weight at this stage.

But some degree of loosey goosey and awkwardness is to be expected of a very out of shape horse who is now being asked to do some hills. I haven’t gotten to much steep hills (we can do one now under saddle, going up, none going down yet) with my horse coming back from the scapula fracture, but in the beginning even a very mild hill was very difficult for him to navigate hand walking. When we first started doing more hacking out (he was w/t/c under saddle), he would rather walk a very long way around over mildly rolling terrain than think about doing one of the steep hills on the property (farm is very hilly). Like if I asked him to walk on, he would spin and say no thank you! Long story short, I wouldn’t worry much at the moment about his straightness and just get him a little more fit doing the best he can for a while.

[fivestrideline]

All good points. I’ve had the EquiCore set to “standard” tightness for him but I never cut the bands so I can loosen it back up.

Luckily he seems very willing to go up and down the hills, and straight (ish), which previously he did NOT. It’s just the handwalking issue that he bends his neck around me and throws his shoulder out - I try to switch sides as much as possible, but there are certain places I have to stay on his near side.

We will just handwalk for two weeks, and then I may try the bands or some backing and other in hand work.

[Elliot12]

How bad was the initial suspensory injury and is there a recent ultrasound? One of mine had a LF high strain and 2 months of solo daytime turnout worked for him. Years ago, I had one that had a front tear and he developed alot of scar tissue.He always had a limp after that.

[MadTrotter]

@Foitin

The rehab vet told us not to turn him out until he was back in full work (jumping 3’-3.3’’ twice weekly, hacking 4 times, eventually showing frequently),

Whaaa? This seems…backwards?

[fivestrideline]

@Elliot12

How bad was the initial suspensory injury and is there a recent ultrasound? One of mine had a LF high strain and 2 months of solo daytime turnout worked for him. Years ago, I had one that had a front tear and he developed alot of scar tissue.He always had a limp after that.

Minor injury, a change in fiber pattern and thickening, but no tear. [quote=“MadTrotter, post:54, topic:788605, full:true”]

@Foitin

The rehab vet told us not to turn him out until he was back in full work (jumping 3’-3.3’’ twice weekly, hacking 4 times, eventually showing frequently),

Whaaa? This seems…backwards?
[/quote]

It standard protocol - controlled exercise to strengthen the fibers before turning the horse out with the option to turn and burn or do other stupid stuff. This assumes arena work for the most part, not trails or XC.

My horse couldn’t tolerate the confinement and thus went out to pasture.

[endlessclimb]

Why is he so crooked just walking around? Do you walk at his shoulder and are needing some pressure to keep him with you?

Teach him to walk behind, and to the side (if you’re at his shoulder and pulling him crooked/enabling the crookedness) on a loose semi-long lead. He shouldn’t be ridiculously crooked just be-bopping around like that, unless he crab walks loose in the pasture, too.

[fivestrideline]

He walks on a slack line, shoulder to shoulder, very responsive to stop/go, for the most part. But if you stand behind him, you can see the slight bend around the handler, no matter which side the handler walks on. It probably isn’t even that bad, just enough to not be super straight. Going downhill is worse.

[endlessclimb]

I’d still try teaching him to walk behind you. The curling around you would be null if there was nothing to curl around. Head at or behind your shoulder.

[fivestrideline]

I like him at my shoulder so I can “feel” any spook or scoot coming - that’s harder to do when he’s behind me.

He wouldn’t intentionally hop on top of me but I’ve been run over before and I don’t like the feeling of a horse out of my line of sight. However, I do see your point and I may try it!

[endlessclimb]

That’s why I put them way off to the side, too. If he’s kicking dirt into your shoes, he isn’t far enough over.